Sunday, April 5, 2009

Petition requests that Psycho Donuts change its theme

In March, a new donut shop opened in Campbell, California, called Psycho Donuts. The store capitalizes on the theme of a “fun mental institution,” a “lighthearted insane asylum” complete with a padded cell where kids can take photos while wearing a straightjacket, a "group therapy" area, employees dressed in medical garb, and donuts named after psychiatric disabilities, such as Massive Brain Trauma and Bipolar.

Psycho Donuts’ website states that it “has taken the neighborhood donut and put it on medication, and given it shock treatment.” The store owners have refused meeting requests from NAMI and from the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center.The Mayor of Campbell, Jane Kennedy, attended the ribbon cutting for the business on April 2. The media coverage of the donut shop by the San Jose Mercury News on March 16th unquestioningly validated the discriminatory theme of the business.

Does this offend you? Are you as outraged about this as we are? If so, please help us DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Send a loud and clear message to the owners of Psycho Donuts and to the leadership of the City of Campbell that the nationwide disability community WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS. WE DEMAND:

1. The owners of Psycho Donuts immediately change the name and theme of thestore and remove all references to institutions and people with mental and psychiatric disabilities in their store, including, but not limited to:

a. The name “Psycho Donuts”

b. Donuts named after any type of disability

c. The padded cell

d. Straightjackets

e. Employees dressed as doctors or nurses

f. “Group therapy” area

g. All references to shock therapy

h. The “Bates Motel” display.

2. The store owners and city staff responsible for approving this business issue a public, written apology to all people with psychiatric disabilities and to the Disability community.

3. The owners, managers and employees of the shop, and city staff responsible for approving this business, participate in a series of ongoing disability awareness trainings within a specified timeframe provided by the Pacific ADA Center.

4. The owners work in partnership with local disability organizations to hire at least one person with a disability to work in the store.